


Teenage Talk

by orphan_account



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Child Abuse, Cloud has anxiety, Cloud is a Selective Mute, Emotional Baggage, Escape, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Interrupted Sex, M/M, Orphans, Protective Zack Fair, Sexual Abuse, runaways - Freeform, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:35:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After an accidental murder, Zack and Cloud run away from home to escape their troubled past.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75





	Teenage Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Another story I wrote to see if I could, and honestly my stomach was jittery the entire time I did. Not beta'd

There was a tapping in the darkroom that Zack and Cloud shared. It was anxiety in audible form, the nail on Cloud’s index finger repeatedly tapping against the surface of the bed frame. Reaching over Cloud’s body, Zack grabbed the nervous boy’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, making the boy cease his tapping and sigh in worry. 

“We’ll be out of here soon.” 

Cloud nodded, not sure if Zack could see it well enough in the dimly lit room. The two laid on their shared twin-sized bed in silence, listening to the sounds on the house. Zack counted every second in his head, waiting for the responding noises from the other rooms as if it was clockwork. After several minutes, the noises they were waiting to hear all night finally came. 

Footsteps from the end of the hall were approaching the door in the same amount they always did, Zack didn’t need to keep track anymore. Assuming the position, Cloud stood in front of the door, while Zack stood against the wall. As the footsteps approached, Zack could start to hear the pounding of his heart as well as Cloud’s. The pulsing growing faster and soon beating faster than the footsteps outside the room. Keys jingled and entered the keyhole, covering what little light source they had. 

The door opened, covering Zack and illuminating Cloud with the hallway light. The silhouette of the devil stood there, his eyes piercing Cloud even in the darkness. 

“Where is he?” The devil asked, his voice practically growling. 

Cloud pointed to the bed where they had stuffed several clothes underneath to resemble his shape, the darkness helping with the illusion gratefully. Keeping his eyes on Cloud, he approached the bed and stared at the lump, increasingly aware of what it was. As the devil turned around to grab at Cloud, already Zack was lunging from behind the door, tackling the devil. Wrinkled hands grabbed at Zack as they fell, but the grip released as a hard thud was heard before both of their bodies fell. 

The pounding of Zack’s heart and breathing was deafening as he felt something wet and thick begin to pool underneath him. It shouldn’t have been this easy to fight back, there should’ve been more of an effort. Zack began to hyperventilate as the wetness was felt all over his hands, the light from the hallway now allowing Zack the satisfaction of what it was. 

A hand tugged at Zack’s shoulder, snapping him back into the reality of the situation. He gulped, looking back at the presence in the darkness. Cloud’s silence was always soothing, so long as Zack knew he was always there. Going back to the man in his arms, Zack began to feel around, looking through the pockets for the ring of keys. As he unhooked them from the devil, he reached back to grab hold of Cloud who flinched from the wet touch. 

They walked towards the hallway, eyes widening in surprise and disgust. Zack’s hands and lower region were stained with fresh blood, some of it staining Cloud as the two held each other. Pulling the crying boy into a smothering hug, Zack shushed the whimpers that came from Cloud as he let tears fall. Closing the door and locking it shut, the two made their way to the restroom to clean up. Cloud sat on the closed toilet seat and sniffled while Zack turned on the shower, feeling relieved that for the first time in years they could take a hot shower without the supervision of unwanted company. 

The two stripped off their clothing, Zack making sure to keep his bloodied clothes separated from Cloud’s still fairly clean ones. They entered the shower together, not worrying about the lack of privacy as they were already used to their bodies. They scrubbed to wash off the blood, Zack scrubbing hard to wash off the feeling of manslaughter. They held each other a little bit longer as the warm water eased their nerves, something they knew would be a rare instance. They soon finished up and dried off, a towel hanging on their hips as they walked out and made their way to the laundry room.

Zack was grateful that laundry was part of the chores they did earlier that day as their clothes were already clean. They slipped on their underwear and moved through the large house once more, avoiding the hall with the locked room. The duo took refuge in the guest room that was never used, the full-sized bed being heaven for them as they never had enough room on their bed. They slept with the lights on that night, Zack holding Cloud closely as he felt the younger boy shake from nightmares in his sleep. 

By morning, light filled the room they slept in, reality slowly coming back into their minds of what happened the night before.

“Are you okay?” Zack asked as he ran his fingers through the blonde’s spiky hair. 

“Yeah…” Cloud weakly said, his voice shaky with uncertainty. 

They shared the little time they had left before they had to leave, taking their time to go walk to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. They ate their lucky charms in silence, the tv on in the background to fill that void. Neither of them could remember the last time they watched tv.

They walked to the bedroom that now belonged to the deadman, scavenging through his closet for a backpack. Luckily there were two, more than Zack was expecting to find. They searched through the rest of his belongings, finding enough gil to keep them steady for a few months. With the dusty backpacks, they went to the laundry room again to pack clothes. 

“Pack lightly, we still need some room to pack other necessities,” Zack instructed as they put away a few shirts, underwear, and socks. They only packed one pair of pants as they figured they’d do fine alternating between those and the ones that they changed into. They began to pack other necessities; a first aid kit, canned foods and water, can opener, a lighter. Zack was thankful there would be the both of them so they could fit more supplies in their inventory, but something seemed to be missing. 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back,” Zack smiled as he ruffled Cloud’s hair. The blonde instead clung to the taller boy’s arm and insisted on following him. “No Cloud, I need to get something from our room.” 

Cloud’s grip tightened slightly before going back to normal. “I don’t want to be alone,” Cloud softly whispered. Zack smiled and kissed the top of his head.

“Alright, but if it’s too much then stay in the hallway.” Zack wasn’t sure how the aftermath would look now, but he hoped that the window in the room didn’t let too much light in to show the corpse. 

The keys rattled as Zack unlocked the door, this time light coming from the room. It was a golden hour, shining beautiful rays over Zack’s eyes, leaving the rest of the room blurred in his vision. Cloud had retreated to the side as the door opened, fearing the sight and smells of the enclosed room.

Zack stepped forward and could see the limp body on the floor, blood still pooled around him. Stepping over the body, he pinched his nose to escape the smell of death. Their room was always hot, so no doubt that added to making the body smell worse than it already should’ve. Only two things needed to be retrieved. Zack’s journal, and Cloud’s stuffed Chocobo. The same toy that Cloud had in his arms when he first showed up at the doorstep with the social worker.

The journal was the only treasure Zack had besides Cloud as he stole it from the library one evening when he was cleaning it. A stack of empty journals, full of pages that were begging to be written in, to be told of the world outside of paper and bound leather. Zack had stolen only one, and was prepared to get a beating for it when its absence was noticed. Using the pages scarcely, Zack would write down each offense. All the dates were there, and times too if possible. Zack would even record the explicit details, but this was all for support in case Zack and Cloud could manage to escape and prosecute the man. But now, seeing as a dead man can’t go to jail, they would only serve as justifications for the death. 

Not all the pages were grim however, some were filled with writings from Cloud or Zack as they would try to communicate when they weren’t able to speak. Some nights were harder than most, when Cloud’s nerves got the best of him it caused the boy to shut down verbally. Selective mutism is what it was called, and while Zack never really understood how that worked, he was more than supportive to Cloud and never pushed the younger boy. Cloud was even eager to teach Zack sign language when they had moments to themselves, using the light from the keyhole or moonlight on a full moon to see their hand movements. 

With the journal in hand, Zack knew it would now be to record the days of freedom the teens now had, despite how indefinite they were. 

The door was closed and locked once more, sealing the death away from the world. Zack figured they’d have at least a week or two before someone would notice the disappearance of the evil man. It’d give them plenty of time to run far away. 

“Are we leaving tonight?” Cloud asked, his baby blue eyes making Zack’s heart melt like they always do.

“Yeah, we’ll have to cross through the city and stay at a motel. Then in the morning we’re going to find a ride out of here.” Zack grabbed ahold of Cloud’s hand and began walking to the front of the house.

“Where will we go?” Cloud questioned.

“Well, we can probably make our way to Kalm. I have an old friend there who can help us.” Zack ran his thumb over Cloud’s to ease his worries. 

“How do you know they’re still there? What if they’re gone?” Cloud’s voice began to quiver.

“If not, then we’ll go somewhere else. Or we’ll stay there and make a home for ourselves. I could find a few jobs to keep us stable in a motel for a while. Maybe I could find a job at a bookstore or a bakery.” Zack laughed lightly as he hoped to lighten the weight on Cloud’s shoulders. 

Cloud returned the laugh and smiled up at Zack with bright eyes, “I don’t know if Kalm will be bustling with opportunities for people like us, but I’ll help in any way I can. Maybe I could work at a flower shop.” Both of the boys smiled at the possibilities for their new life, hoping that it wasn’t too late for them to find freedom. 

They left the house with all their supplies, each other in hand, and their backs facing the large house. Seventeen years alive, Zack was tormented for ten of them, while Cloud had only been living there for five years, arriving at the age of ten. The boys grew close in the time they were together, Zack becoming a protector for the young boy and a brother figure. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the two of them began to see each other in a different light as they would always sleep together, bathe together, eat together, and endure the same punishments. 

They found solace in each other, Cloud being the one to first admit his feelings for Zack in the form of a kiss as they laid facing each other in bed. Cloud was only thirteen while Zack was fifteen, but in their situation they were the same age. Two boys who were robbed of innocence, keeping alive the last bit of it they had left in the love they felt for each other. 

Nothing was more poetic than their escape, and the scary adventure only excited them.

* * *

The most the boys were allowed to be outside was when they would tend to the enclosed garden area that was roofless, always teasing the boys with a taste of freedom. Zack often found himself working harder on days they would have to take care of the garden, just so he could have those extra moments of sunbathing when there was nothing left to do. The warmth of the golden rays were bliss as they danced across his skin, and Cloud agreed as they would occasionally nap in the flower beds when they knew they had enough time. Zack’s internal clock was always making sure to wake up on time before they were caught, everything in that house was on schedule by the second.

Replacing the golden rays in the daydream, they were now placed into the bustling city life of Midgar. Skyscrapers that illuminated the sky with a flurry of neon lights while the ground level was full of either tourists or suits that were too caught up in their own greed to notice the homely boys as they pushed through the crowded sidewalk. 

While Zack wanted to take in the sights, he planted his eyes in front of him to make sure that they never strayed away from their destination. Zack knew he needed to go North where most of the tourist spots were, it was pricier to rent a room for the night, but it was much safer than sleeping in the slums on the outskirts of the city. Zack knew they shouldn’t have to fight another battle on their first night of freedom. 

They kept on walking, Cloud wide-eyed at everything around him as he had never seen the city before. A country boy just like Zack, except Zack had already seen the city before long ago. A tug on his arm made Zack break contact with the pavement in front of him and look over at the shorter boy who was pointing to a shop to the right of them. It was an ice cream parlor that was handing out small sample dishes of small colorful dots made of ice cream. It was obvious Cloud wanted to try it as he always did have a sweet tooth, so a few seconds to grab a sample wouldn’t hurt. 

They made their way to the man who was more than happy to hand the boys four containers, annoying Zack with his pity. He swallowed it though and thanked the man, as did Cloud shyly. Zack watched Cloud as he scarfed his down eagerly, licking his lips after he dunked the contents down his mouth. Zack chuckled warmly at the boy’s reaction to the nostalgic taste.

“Did you enjoy it?” Zack asked as they continued to walk down the sidewalk in a much more relaxed pace than before. 

“Y-yeah.” Cloud blushed as he nodded with a small smile. 

Zack squeezed Cloud’s hand as they walked together, taking time to enjoy the sights around them. It was almost like a date, and the thought made Zack’s heart jump. Leaning close into Cloud, Zack gave him a small peck on the cheek.

“I love you,” Zack whispered before he pulled away, letting the boy take in his words. Cloud, who was blushing like crazy, leaned in on his tiptoes and returned the kiss, whispering the words right back into his boyfriend’s ear. 

It was magic for them to openly admit their love as people in Midgar were much too focused on themselves to care about a couple of boys holding hands and kissing. In a way, it felt like they were the only two who mattered on the entire planet while everyone else was just filler. Zack hoped it would always be that way, and that no one would interrupt their peace.

* * *

It was around eleven when they finally made their way to a motel in the tourist area of the city. As Zack expected, the cost was high, but not too much to cause a huge drop in funds. They made their way to the room in excitement as they wondered what it would be like. Opening the door, it wasn’t exactly a disappointment, but still shabbily decorated with the conflicting color schemes and outdated furniture. But neither was one to complain as they were grateful to have a place to sleep for the night. 

They set their bags down by the bed and immediately plopped down on the bed with each other in their arms. Their shoes were kicked off and they laid there in the company of each other, neither of them wanting to look away from their blue eyes. Cloud’s breathing hitched and a bittersweet smile formed on his face.

“What’s wrong, Cloud?” Zack worried.

“I’m just glad I have you. I wish the circumstances were better, but there’s no one else I’d rather do this with.” Cloud explained, a single tear running down his face. Zack reached over to wipe the tear from his face, kissing the spot gently right after. 

“No matter what, you’ll always have me. We’ll make up for the lost time.” The brunette promised before kissing him on the lips. The contact lasted longer than their usual kisses as they knew they didn’t need to fear any more restraints. 

Zack planted more kisses on Cloud’s chapped lips, hearing the smaller boy moan eagerly. It was shameful, but most of what they knew about kissing came from their experience with the man that used them. And of course, there were other things they learned that left physical and mental scars on the both of them, but neither of them dared to go far enough with those same actions on each other. There was always a stopping point when one of them got too uncomfortable which the other always understood. 

But something about now made them try their luck as the oppressor was now dead, the ghost of him haunting them in the back of their minds. Zack had traced his tongue over Cloud’s, and the boy was more than willing to cooperate with allowing access to his mouth. Their tongues collided roughly, but neither were willing to ease up as the wet contact sent chills down their bodies. 

Cloud had rolled on top of Zack, his rear nestled on the hard erection in Zack’s jeans. This was the furthest they had ever gone before one of them had become too scared, and this time would be no different as Cloud immediately began to regret his actions. 

The feeling of Zack’s hardon sent shockwaves of fear through his body and soon he was trembling while pulling away from Zack’s face. Zack sat up and wrapped his arms around Cloud without a word, understanding what was going through the boy’s mind. Tears fell out of his eyes landed on Zack’s shoulder, it was never easy for them to forget the past, and each reminder would just hurt them even more.

“I’m so sorry Cloud,” Zack comforted the crying boy who was slowly wrapping his arms around Zack.

“I want to, Zack. I really do. I’m just not ready,” Cloud shamefully admitted as he continued to let his tears fall.

“I understand, we never have to go past what you’re comfortable with.” Zack rubbed Cloud’s back gently, feeling the boy ease up. Eventually his tears stopped and so did the sniffling, yet their arms stayed wrapped around each other. They stayed that way for a while, breaking apart when Cloud’s stomach awkwardly growled in the silence they shared.

“Sorry.” Cloud blushed.

“Don’t be, there’s a burger place across the street from us if you want to get dinner,” Zack said, pulling away to get a look at Cloud’s face.

“Can we eat in here?” Cloud asked, his request coming out more childlike than intended. 

“Of course! We can even watch some tv while we eat,” Zack ruffled Cloud’s hair and laughed. “Will you be okay here on your own while I get the food?” 

Cloud nodded with a small smile, nonverbally grateful that he didn’t have to leave the safety of the motel room. 

“Alright, save me a kiss for when I get back.” Zack rubbed his nose against Cloud’s and got up, putting some of the gil they had into his pocket. 

As Zack left, Cloud sat up on the bed and grabbed the remote. The channels were limited in the package they chose for the room, which was alright since Cloud didn’t expect a cinematic masterpiece to come on. He eventually settled on ‘Channel 5 Midgar News’ as it was the only familiar thing. 

Zack was back in no time, two brown bags with a cute burger mascot on both of them in one hand while a container for drinks in his other. “Oh, news? What are you, fifty?” Zack protested as he set the food down on the nightstand and reached over to kiss Cloud while also grabbing the remote. He quickly changed it to a channel that played raunchy and adult theme cartoons. 

“I was watching that!” Cloud pouted. 

“Watching that will stress you out, you don’t wanna get grey streaks in those pretty blonde spikes of yours, do you?” Zack teased as he grabbed a fry from one of the bags and started to eat. 

“Whatever. What’d you get me?” Cloud asked as he moved closer to the delicious smelling fast food.

“I wasn’t really sure what you would want, so I got you a burger with everything on it,” Zack reached in and gave Cloud the wrapped burger. He proceeded to unwrap it and immediately pick out the pickles and lettuce. 

“Not a fan?” Zack asked as he took the condiments from Cloud and ate them on their own.

“They’re gross,” Cloud answered. He took his first bite of the burger and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. It was the first time in years they ate something that wasn’t “nutritionally beneficial”. Cloud forgot how much he missed greasy foods.

“You’re the gross one. Here,” Zack said as he handed Cloud his tomato who put it in his burger. 

They ate their burgers quickly, not letting a single bit go to waste. As they ate their fries, they watched the cartoon and its immature jokes. Zack laughed more often than Cloud who was wondering how a show could get away with jokes like that. It felt normal for the both of them, like their whole life hadn’t been taken from them, and that they were normal people who lived normal lives. 

“Do you think it can always be like this?” Cloud asked, drawing Zack’s attention away from the tv.

Zack swallowed the fry in his mouth and looked at him with a confused look, “like how?”

Cloud shrugged, “I don’t know. Just calm, without a single worry.” 

“I can’t really make any promises, but I’ll always protect you, you already know that. But I imagine that in Kalm we’ll eventually save up enough money to get a nice apartment for the two of us. Nothing big, just enough space for us and maybe a dog, or a cat if that’s your thing.” Cloud snorted at the thought of a cat, a dog would match their energy for Zack. “But we'll live a quiet life, and you don’t have to worry about anyone trying to separate us.” 

“What would you name the dog?” Cloud engaged. 

“Probably Spike. It’s pretty fitting, don’t you think?” Zack beamed as he gestured to their hair.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t use my nickname.” Cloud took one of Zack’s fries.

“I don’t get it, first you hate the nicknames I give you, then you love them.” Zack shook his head. 

“It’s only because I can’t stand you.” Cloud stuck out his tongue playfully and snuck another fry from Zack.

“Good thing you’re sitting then,” The brunette hummed. “And stop taking my fries!” 

They laughed for the rest of the night, enjoying each other’s company as much as they could before their eyes began to feel heavy. They eventually got ready for bed, both of them stripping down to their underwear to sleep comfortably as Zack gave off an absurd amount of body heat as he slept. Cloud was thankful for it on chilly December nights as he had his own warm teddy bear to cling onto in his sleep.

Luckily they had control over the temperature in the room they slept in, choosing to set it to nice chilliness for the two of them to hold each other all night without having to worry about sweat covering their bodies in the morning. Cloud clung to Zack’s side throughout the night, letting his head lay in the crook of Zack’s neck. For the first time in forever, neither of the boys had nightmares.

* * *

Waking up felt like a dream as the boys opened their eyes simultaneously, still in each other’s arms while their legs were hooked around each other. Zack wasn’t always a morning person, but if all mornings could be as peaceful as this then he figured he could make the effort to wake up earlier just to hold Cloud a little bit longer. 

“Good morning sunshine.” Zack greeted as he kissed Cloud’s forehead. 

“Morning,” Cloud yawned, rubbing his eyes. “What time is it?” 

“Breakfast time I’d say.” Zack smiled. Cloud sat up and yawned again as he rubbed the back of his head. 

“Can we shower first?” He groggily asked, already standing up and reaching inside his bag for his toothbrush. 

“Sure.” Zack nodded, getting his toothbrush as well. 

They brushed their teeth together in the sink, both giving wide smiles in the mirror to show off their pearly whites. After that, they removed their boxers and stepped into the shower, both not caring about the nudity like always. They washed together unceremoniously, enjoying another shower with hot water and enough soap to completely cover themselves in suds. 

“Hey Cloud, look,” Zack called over as he spiked up his hair into a mohawk with the shampoo. “What do you think? I could definitely pull off the mohawk look.” 

“As if your spikes wouldn’t fight against it.” Cloud laughed as several strands of hair already started to poke out from the lathered hair.

“You’re just jealous cause my hair is more lustrous.” Zack posed with his new hairstyle, more and more strands of hairs already assuming their natural position. 

After finishing up and changing into some fresh clothes, they made their way to the restaurant, hoping there was some sort of breakfast menu. They sat in one of the booths, looking over the menu eagerly as everything looked delicious. As Cloud read over the menu, Zack began to throw up crumpled up paper balls from the wrapper of the straw at his boyfriend. He tried his hardest to hold back a laugh when one of them landed perfectly in Cloud’s hair, getting lost in the blonde spikes. 

“Are you done being annoying?” Cloud rolled his eyes as he looked up.

Zack thought about it for a second, tilting his head side to side before looking Cloud straight in his eyes with a goofy smile. “Nope!” Another flick of paper landed in Cloud’s hair and this time the laugh wasn’t held back.

“You’re a child.” Cloud sighed with a smile. 

“You love it, don’t lie.” Zack twinkled, making Cloud blush in embarrassment. 

“I do,” Cloud mumbled, his arms folded and his gaze averted to the window next to them.

Zack laughed at how cute his boyfriend was, especially when he was shy. It was one of the things that Zack first noticed about him that made him always want to protect the boy from anything, no matter what. 

The waitress came up to them soon, her pen and pad in hand. “Are you two ready to order?” Her smile and bubbly personality becoming exposed by the handsome teens in front of her. 

“I’ll have the chocolate pancakes, three-stack,” Zack ordered, his smile reaching from ear to ear. 

“Alright, and for you?” She turned to Cloud who wasn’t entirely ready to order. 

He went to speak, but was suddenly choked up and unable to find his words. His nerves got the best of him. Before Cloud began to panic, Zack grabbed his hand on the table and looked at him with a warm smile. 

_ “It’s okay. Do you want the same?”  _ Zack signed with his hands. 

Cloud nodded,  _ “two stack, please.” _

“He’ll have the same, two stack,” Zack ordered for him. 

“Alright, thanks so much, it’ll be out in one moment. Holler if you need a refill on your drinks.” The waitress smiled as she went back to the counter to put in their orders. 

“Hey, you okay?” Zack asked in a concerned tone.

“Y-yeah, sorry. I was just caught off guard.” The blonde explained. 

“It’s okay kiddo, we’re fine here.” Zack nudged his knee under the table with his own. 

Cloud looked out the window for a bit before turning back to Zack. “Hey Zack?”

“Something on your mind?” 

“How are we gonna get to Kalm?” Cloud questioned. 

Zack held his head in his hands with his eyes closed as he started to think. “Honestly, I’m not too sure. I don’t know much about bus travel, so that would be pretty confusing. I was honestly considering we walk the way or try to hitchhike.” 

“Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” The younger teen worried.

“Not when you’re with me, of course.” Zack grabbed Cloud’s hand once again.

There was a loud 'ehem' from the booth behind Zack followed by long red-haired lanky fellow leaning over the divider. 

“Sup gentlemen, me and my partner here couldn’t help but eavesdrop into your conversation.” The red-haired man crudely said.

“I’m sorry?” Zack questioned the man.

“You’re excused, big guy. Anyways, me and my partner were actually heading out to Kalm later this afternoon, and we wouldn’t mind giving a lift to you kids.” He smirked. 

“Reno.” The other man exclaimed calmly. 

“It’s chill Rude, besides, I wouldn’t mind having two cuties to keep me company. No offense Rude.” Reno chuckled, earning a grunt from the bald man. “So, whadda ya say, yo?” 

Zack looked back and forth between Reno and Cloud with an eager expression on his face. “Sounds good to me! You, Cloud?” 

Fidgeting slightly, Cloud's face showed his discomfort and distrust to the strangers. Zack grabbed Cloud’s hand again and gave him a knowing look of trust, making Cloud’s worries melt away some. After a moment of nonverbal reassurance, Cloud nodded his head in agreement. 

“Sounds good. We’re gonna meet up here at three after we finish up some business in town.” Reno pulled back and sat down in his seat, waving a hand to signal the end of the conversation. 

By then, their food was already coming out, warm and fluffy pancakes being the main focus to both of the hungry teens. It was amazing to Zack as he watched Cloud drench his pancakes in syrup, he wondered how much sugar the boy could take before ending up in a sugar coma. Their plates were empty in no time, and soon they left as they paid their bill, while also giving a good tip to their kind waitress. 

“Remember, three o’clock, yo,” Reno called out as the teens passed them on their way out, Zack responding with a thumbs up while his other hand reached out to grab Cloud’s free hand. Slumping back in his seat, Reno clicked his teeth in disappointment. “Damn, the cute ones always gotta be taken.” 

“They’re underage,” Rude said between his sips of coffee.

“The blonde, maybe. But the big guy? Nah, he doesn’t seem underage. Dumb as hell though, yo.” Reno snickered, Rude just shook his head.

“Do you think Hojo will be there?” Reno asked, looking out the window to watch the two boys cross the street to their motel room. 

“Who knows. It’ll make the job a lot easier if he is.” Rude answered, not taking his eyes on the newspaper in his hands.

“Easier to track yeah, but I don’t know how to feel about killing those foster kids too. Hate when they make us kill the witnesses.” Reno sucked once more, closing his eyes in frustration. 

“We do our job and don’t complain.” Rude calmly said, his eyes looking at his partner with no remorse.

“Maybe I should look into college to get a change in career then.” Reno rolled his eyes. 

* * *

The boys lounged for a while in their room, watching television for a while and praying for time to go by faster. As much as they loved the excitement of their freedom, they wanted to fulfill their adventure of life on the run. Not only that, but Zack began to worry as he feared it was only a matter of time before their murder scene would be discovered. He didn’t want to worry Cloud anymore than he already was, so he kept the thought to himself, but the nervousness eventually bled deeper into his body until he found himself tapping his fingers on his chest.

“Why’re you jittery?” Cloud asked, his gaze on the tv while he talked.

“Just wanting time to go by faster.” Zack half lied.

“You really want to get to Kalm, huh?” Cloud looked up at Zack and kissed him on the cheek which eased Zack’s nerves. 

“I guess I do.” Zack returned the kiss, this time on the lips. 

After a sit-com and a half, the time they would be meeting up was nearing. Both boys grabbed their bags and went to the lobby to check out, Zack handling the finances as the money was safest with him, even if he wasn’t sure what he was doing paying for the night and half day. While Zack handed the man at the counter the gil, he planted a kiss on Cloud's forehead who was too invested in something else. Moving his eyes to the television in the lobby that Cloud was watching, Zack saw the news channel was on, a reporter going on about an important headline.

“-pper class neighborhood, a crime scene has recently taken place in the home of Hojo Lecter as police were called in to investigate when a concerned neighbor had seen two suspicious teenage looking boys walking out of his house the previous night and into the neighborhood. The witness said she had gone the next day to check up on her neighbor, wondering if he was okay, and when there wasn’t an answer she dialed  _ 911 _ to report a possible burglary or murder.” 

“Zack…” Cloud shivered while Zack kept a firm grasp on his shoulder. 

“As police entered the house to investigate, they came across a locked bedroom and behind the wall was the rotting corpse of Hojo Sector, a man who neighbors described as a  _ ‘quiet’  _ and  _ ‘reclusive’  _ man. The man fell over and hit the temple of his forehead on the corner of the hardwood dresser, and died from blood loss as the impact rendered him unconscious. Police are now searching for the two teenage boys last seen leaving the house by the neighbor, the two having been identified as Cloud Strife and Zack Fair, Sector’s adopted sons. Police have not ruled out foul play as they are searching for these individuals for questioning.” The reporter had finished, and soon two poor quality photographs of both of them were plastered on the screen. Oddly enough, it relaxed Zack as the photos were from years ago, giving a glimmer of hope that their faces would be harder to recognize.

“Sorry about that, here’s your change,” The man at the counter handed back the rest of Zack’s gil who was too shocked to say anything in return. By now their photos were off the screen and the two quickly rushed out the door, walking to the parking lot of the restaurant. Their faces were stunned and eyes wide as their hearts raced too fast to keep up with, Cloud was having an especially hard time to breathe.

“Zack, what’re we gonna do if we get caught? I don’t want to lose you.” Cloud panicked as tears formed in his eyes. 

Tears were already falling down Zack’s face as he gave a smile to seem strong for Cloud. He had to be strong for him. “We’ll be okay Cloud, soon we’ll be far out of Midgar and in Kalm where they’ll never find us.” 

Truth be told, Zack didn’t believe his words. Kalm was the next town over, and no doubt news of the murder and missing boys would reach the town. But Zack had to have hope, there was no way they could be caught, he couldn’t lose Cloud. He couldn’t be separated from him. They hugged each other in the parking lot, silently crying into each other’s arms in fear and desperation.

Soon a truck pulled into the parking lot, a familiar string of red hair sticking out of the window. “Well if it ain’t the lovebirds,” Reno called out from the passengers' side as Reno parked the car next to them.

The two older men stepped out of the car and stood in front of the boys who stopped their weeping in front of the strangers. 

“You know, for a couple of murderers, I didn’t think you two would be such crybabies,” Reno smirked, making the blood in both Cloud and Zack freeze.

“Relax, we aren’t gonna report you to police, yo. You did royally fuck up our job though.” Reno’s cocky smile faltered as he stared at the frozen in place boys.

“What do you mean your job?” Zack asked, unsure if it was the wise thing to do.

Reno shrugged, “No use in keeping secrets since I’m sure you have your own share of them. That Hojo guy was bad news, and a lot of people would pay for a bad man like him to go missing. Truth be told, we were told to get rid of any family or witnesses since the client didn’t want any of this coming back to them, yo.” Reno explained, his hands going into his pockets.

Rude approached the two, a glove being tugged on his hand. Reno looked over at them with a devious smile, watching as the boys were too shocked to move. “ But, guess our surprise when the mark was already killed and the cops were all over the crime scene. The client won’t like that one bit. We’re supposed to be professionals, yo.” 

“We can pay you to let us go,” Zack spoke up, making Cloud flinch in surprise. 

Reno eyed the two and shrugged. “Keep it, I just wanted to see how much I could scare you, wimps. We’ll tell the client that you killed the guy before we got there, and then just say we killed you in the process.”

“B-but what about the police?” Cloud stammered.

“We’ve got the connections to make this whole thing as good as gone. Like I said, we’re professionals.” Reno waved a hand.

“You’ll be safe,” Rude spoke up, placing a hand on both of their shoulders.

“So, we going to Kalm or what, yo?” Reno asked as he got back into the truck with Rude. 

The boys still stood there, hesitant about getting in the car. “Who are you guys?” Zack doubted the men who gave a mischievous smile, the smallest one forming on Rude’s face.

“Man, wouldn’t you like to know.” Reno chuckled. He knocked on the car door loudly and looked at them. “You coming or what?”

Zack wasn’t sure what he could trust anymore, but there was no other opportunity for the two of them as their last resort seemed to be with the men who seemed genuine enough. Zack took a leap of fate and grabbed the door handle. He looked back at Cloud’s baby blue eyes and pleaded silently with him to join him. There were no words said as they climbed in the back of the truck with the men.

“That wasn’t so hard now, yeah? Buckled up boys, it’s gonna be a while till we get there.” Reno checked his hair in the mirror and then looked at Rude with a nod. The truck took off, leaving the parking lot, and eventually leaving the city. 

As they drove down the empty and stretched road in front of them, Zack rolled down the window and stuck his head out slightly, letting the harsh winds outside of the truck hit his face. Freedom had never felt so forceful, but it was the first thing after Cloud that made Zack feel at peace as the winds whipped through his hair. Cloud joined in on the other side, letting the force of freedom envelope his face as well. 

Reno stared at them through the rearview mirror and shook his head, “Freaks.” 

They both heard his comment, but neither cared as they were finally free.

**Author's Note:**

> If this is liked well enough, I might make this into a series, so let me know y'all's thoughts in the comments if I should continue this or now :3


End file.
